Fall for You
by generalnothingness
Summary: In which DG steals Cain’s hat, Ahamo plays matchmaker, and Cain is forced to dance. DGCain like it's going out of style. Written for the Fic of Tin Fic Exchange. Complete.
1. Part I

**Title: **Fall for You  
**Author:** generalnothing  
**Gift for:** missbadwolf  
**Rating: **PG for kissin' type stuff and a bad word or two.  
**Word Count:** 6,204**  
Beta (if applicable):** partially beta'd by **49seconds  
Disclaimer:** I don't own _Tin Man_ or anything related to it. The title comes from the Secondhand Serenade song of the same name.  
**Summary:** In which DG steals Cain's hat, Ahamo plays matchmaker, and Cain is forced to dance. DG/Cain liek whoa.  
**Pairings (if applicable):** DG/Cain, Lavender/Ahamo  
**Author's note (if applicable): **The prompt(s) were 'Ahamo is very fond of matchmaking (think DG/Cain)' and 'DG wonders when Cain will notice that she has stolen his hat.' I kind of combined the two. I had so much fun writing this even though it got sooooo long. This is literally the longest (completed) fic I have _ever_ written. **missbadwolf**, I hope you enjoy this, the prompts were super fun. And as always, special thanks and internet hugs to **49seconds** for late night beta's on half written fics, im giggle fits, multiple conversations, allowing me to spaz about the awesomeness of Jacob and collaborations.

**Part I**

"Hey, Pop," DG said, moving to stand beside her father at the window, both looking out at the palace grounds. The twin suns shone with an almost brightening blindness and both father and daughter had to squint their bright blue eyes.

"Hey, Spitfire," Ahamo said, glancing to his left to take in his daughter's appearance. The younger princess was aglow with mischief and a bit of magic, a small smile on her face and her bright blue eyes shining.

The Queen, who was watching her husband and daughter stand in front of the window, smiled at their similarities. Though vastly different in looks, his blond hair to her dark brown, they were extremely alike in mannerisms. Even after fifteen years of separation, for all three occupants of the room, the Queen could still tell that DG was her father's daughter.

They held themselves in the same way, that not-quite-royalty-but-working-on-it way where their backs were straight, but their shoulders kind of slumped forward. They spoke the same way, with that strange, Other Side dialect that the courtiers used to make fun of when Lavender and Ahamo would attend balls. And though it wasn't possible to tell at the moment, both had fantastic art ability.

"What's got you in such a good mood, Little One?" Ahamo asked, trying to hide his smile. DG just laughed a bit, a high, cheerful sound that made both the Queen and Ahamo smile, and shook 

her head. She hadn't taken her eyes off of the grounds and Ahamo could see she was following a specific figure.

From his position at the window, Ahamo could see the whole of the palace gardens, filled with hundreds of different flowers that he long ago gave up trying to learn. Large trees, some as old as the O.Z. itself, provided shade for the many benches that were strewn about the garden. The garden was the Queen's favorite spot and she and Ahamo would spend hours walking along the paths that wound through the succulent smelling flowers.

At the moment however, said paths were being stalked by one Wyatt Cain. Ahamo could see, though he was farther up, that the recently appointed Captain of the Royal Guard was very angry and looking for something. His blond head kept disappearing as he ducked it under benches and around tree trunks searching for whatever was eluding him. Ahamo realized that it was the first time that he had seen Mr. Cain without his ever present fedora.

And with that realization, the Prince Consort let out a bark of laughter that made his wife and daughter jump in surprise. Both women looked at him like he was crazy as he laughed.

"Spitfire, you love driving that man crazy, don't you?" Ahamo asked through breathless laughter. DG stared at him for a moment, confusion clouding her eyes before she realized that her father knew of her plan. She smiled, but didn't say a word, the mischief back in her face and turned her gaze back to her bodyguard who was still searching the gardens.

"What is it, my love?" the Queen asked, moving to stand between her husband and the daughter that had been missing for so long.

Ahamo, wrapping his arm around his wife's waist, smiled at the two women by his side before pointing out to his wife the ex-Tin Man who was still searching the grounds for his missing piece of apparel. When the Queen finally realized what was happening, she let out a high spirited laugh, much like her daughter's had been. Both Royals turned to their youngest child.

"Angel, you do know how to run that man up a wall," the Queen said, shaking her head in mirth.

"So, where is it, Deege?" Ahamo asked. His youngest daughter, whose childhood he'd missed, smiled and lifted her hand to the air above her head.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Daddy," she said sweetly, running her fingers along the brim of an invisible hat. As her fingers stroked the air above her head, the hat that previously wasn't there, suddenly was.

The Queen and her consort smiled in awe. Their daughter was slowly learning to use her magic and it was clear that one day she would be the strongest queen the O.Z. had had since DG's namesake.

"Very smart, DG, but I'm sure Mr. Cain is getting tired of searching all over the grounds for his hat," Ahamo said, looking back down at Cain. The man was still searching for the missing piece of his outfit, digging through bushes and looking under rocks. "Does he even know you have it?"

DG laughed before answering. "He thinks he left it outside while I was sketching," she said, watching the recipient of her prank. "He's been looking forever. He has no clue that I -"

"DG?" Ahamo asked concerned by the way DG had just cut off. He noticed that she was still staring down into the gardens, but she had not moved her gaze. Looking out the window, down onto the grounds, Ahamo noticed that Cain had finally stopped pacing the grounds. The former Tin Man, whom Ahamo owed not only his daughter's lives, but his own as well, was staring up at the window that the three of them were standing in front of.

"Uh-oh," he heard his daughter say, before she turned and ran out the door, Ahamo only seeing the hem of her dress as she swung around the doorway into the hallway. He looked back down into the gardens to see what impact his daughter's hasty escape had made on the guard, but Cain had already taken off toward the castle.

As the last of DG's skirt disappeared, the Queen let out another cheerful laugh. She moved so she was standing in front of her husband and rested her dainty hands on his broad shoulders. He, in turn, wound his arms around her waist, pulling her close and resting his forehead against hers.

"Hello, husband," she said softly, leaning into to press her lips to his.

"Hello, wife," he replied as their lips finally separated.

Moments like these were rare for the royal couple, between the duties of the newly re-appointed queen and her consort and the family's effort to re-acquaint themselves with each other. They never had time to just _be_ with each other. They stared into each other's eyes, his bright blue ones, just a shade lighter than his youngest daughter's, gazing into her lavender ones.

"Do you think they know how much they love each other?" the Queen asked her voice high and bright.

"Not yet," Ahamo said. "But I have an idea."

"Do tell, dear husband."

Ahamo leaned his head forward and whispered his plan into his wife's ear. His soft whispering was rewarded with yet another laugh from his love and he smiled at the joy on her face.

"You are deliciously manipulative," the Queen said, leaning her head back to look into his eyes.

"You love me even more for it," Ahamo replied, a cocky grin on his face. He leaned forward, anxious for another kiss, but was interrupted by a bellowed "DG!" and a high pitched, obviously fake, scream of terror.

"You'd better get on with your plan then, Ahamo. If you don't, I'm liable to lock them in a closet and call it a day."

Ahamo laughed, grabbing his wife's hand as they went to the door to inspect the damage done by their daughter and the man she loved.

"And you call me manipulative," he said with a laugh.

* * *

"DG, you give me that hat back, _right now_!" Cain yelled, chasing the tiny girl down the hallway. He kept losing sight of her as she swerved around corners, but the sound of her bare feet slapping against the stone floor and the sound of her laughter made keeping up with her easier.

She was fast, he'd give her that, but he had longer legs. He rounded the corner he'd just seen the hem of her dress whip around to find the door leading to the gardens wide open. Cain stopped in the doorway looking first left and then right, holding up his hand to block the sun. This was why he needed his hat. The mid-day suns were killers on his fair skin.

"_DG_," he growled out. A giggle sounded from his right from around the corner. His head whipped around and he pushed off the doorframe and rounded the corner of the castle before DG even had a chance to run again.

She tried to run, but her bare feet slipped on the grass and she had never been fast enough to really outrun the Tin Man. The hat, the one that had caused this whole mess, flew off her head as she fell towards the ground, arms outstretched to catch herself. She closed her eyes in anticipation of the impact and landed with an "Oof!"

Her eyes opened only to see the ever present hat only a few feet from her hand. A growl from behind and above DG reminded her of her (still very angry) companion. Wanting to prolong the game, DG lurched forward on her stomach to reach the fedora.

"Oh, no you don't," Cain mumbled, launching himself forward to grab his hat before the princess could take off with it again. Cain, however, misjudged the distance between himself and his hat, the distance between himself and the princess' legs, and his own sense of gravity. He lurched forward, but just as he did, his legs tangled with DG's and he found the ground quickly rushing to meet him.

Cain landed with his own "Oof!" and his hands on either side of DG in an attempt to stop his body from crushing hers. Momentum was a bitch though, and gravity was just as fickle, so he ended up with his chest pressed against her back, his nose buried in her dark hair. He took a 

deep breath; one that he told himself was to refill his lungs after his fall and _definitely not_ to breathe in the sweet smelling scent of her hair.

"Uh…Cain?" he heard muffled from under him. He grunted out a "Sorry" and rolled to his right, but not before grabbing his hat and putting in the hand furthest away from DG. He looked to his right to see that the princess had turned to face him, propping her head up in her hand. A goofy grin was plastered on to her face and it made a small smirk appear on his.

"Very funny, Princess," Cain said, trying, and ultimately failing, to keep the smile from widening.

"I believe I am, thank you," she replied and Cain didn't think it was possible, but her smile got wider. She rolled on her back again before bringing herself into a sitting position and turning to face him again. He followed her example until the two of them were sitting cross legged in front of each other, knees to knees. Cain's hat had finally made it back on top of his head.

For a moment they just stared at each other, DG's grin growing wider by the second and Cain was sure her face would split in half.

"Your cheeks are gonna break if you don't calm down there, Deege," he said, bringing a finger to poke at the dimple that had appeared in her right cheek.

She laughed and he smiled at the sound before she brought her hands up to rub her cheeks. When she pulled her hands away, her face had a healthy glow about it, but he couldn't tell if it was from the cheek rubbing or because she was just extremely happy. She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and dropped her gaze from his.

It was then that Cain noticed that his hand was still hovering near her face. He needlessly tucked the same piece of hair back and continued his caress down her jaw. When he reached her chin, he tucked his finger under it to lift her face.

He didn't know what he was doing or where this was going to lead. For once in his life Cain was, as DG liked to say occasionally, "going with the flow." It would probably get him in trouble. No, it would definitely get him in trouble. But the blush on her cheeks and the wind blowing her succulent smell around him and the utter essence of her being DG caused him to lean forward. Her gaze dropped to his lips and back again and he heard her swallow audibly.

"Princess DG!"

The sound of a lady-in-waiting's voice carrying over the grounds made the two of them jerk back, Cain's hat once again falling from his head. He grabbed it quickly before hauling himself up and held out a hand for DG.

"Cain -" she started, but he cut her off.

"Let's get you back, Princess. I think you have a dress fitting."

They didn't speak for the rest of the day.


	2. Part II

**Title: **Fall for You  
**Author:** generalnothing  
**Gift for:** missbadwolf  
**Rating: **PG for kissin' type stuff and a bad word or two.  
**Word Count:** 6,204**  
Beta (if applicable):** partially beta'd by **49seconds  
Disclaimer:** I don't own _Tin Man_ or anything related to it. The title comes from the Secondhand Serenade song of the same name.  
**Summary:** In which DG steals Cain's hat, Ahamo plays matchmaker, and Cain is forced to dance. DG/Cain liek whoa.  
**Pairings (if applicable):** DG/Cain, Lavender/Ahamo  
**Author's note (if applicable): **The prompt(s) were 'Ahamo is very fond of matchmaking (think DG/Cain)' and 'DG wonders when Cain will notice that she has stolen his hat.' I kind of combined the two. I had so much fun writing this even though it got sooooo long. This is literally the longest (completed) fic I have _ever_ written. **missbadwolf**, I hope you enjoy this, the prompts were super fun. And as always, special thanks and internet hugs to **49seconds** for late night beta's on half written fics, im giggle fits, multiple conversations, allowing me to spaz about the awesomeness of Jacob and collaborations.

**Part II**

_So, I'm pretty sure Wyatt Cain tried to kiss us yesterday_, DG's subconscious said as the corporeal DG was fitted for a too-tight ball gown to be worn at the Second Annual Anniversary of the Eclipse Ball that was scheduled for that night. At the moment, the youngest princess was perched on a pedestal, arms raised and outstretched to her sides and a look of pure discontent covering her features.

_Ha. Right_, she told herself back.

_Well, there was the smiling and chin lift and the face caress. Hell, I'm fairly certain you got a lean._

_He wasn't going to kiss me. He was just…making sure I…didn't…get…hurt? I mean, he did kind of fall on me._

_Oh, please_, her inner-self fired back. _Are you kidding me? You were about to a great, big smackarooni from that Tin Man. _

"Urgh. Shut up," DG growled under her breath.

"Princess?" one of the seamstress asked looking up from DG's hem, which she was currently pinning.

"Uh…sorry. Just talking to myself," DG said, a faint blush crawling up her cheeks. The seamstress just nodded, used to the strange ways of the younger Slipper princess. DG shifted, her arms getting tired, cursing when the seamstress who was pinning the top of the dress accidently poked her.

"Sorry, princess," the young girl said around the pins in her mouth. "But you should stop fidgeting, lest you get a more serious puncture. We're almost done, I promise."

"Thank goodness," DG said, trying not to move. The maid at her feet finally finished up her hemline and stood up in front of the younger princess, going over her companions work. The second seamstress finally finished pinning the top of her dress and the two of them stepped back to look at their handiwork.

"It looks beautiful, Princess DG," one maid said, stepping back to DG to help her turn around so she could see the dress herself.

"Wow," DG said, drawing the word out. "It's…I don't even have any words. You guys turned me into a girl!"

The two maids grinned, looking at each other before turning back to the girl in front of the mirror. DG was running her hands down the front of the dress, following the patterns of the beading that adorned the tight bodice. She stopped when she reached her hips, bringing her hands to her sides. She crouched slightly, picking up the bottom of the dress which was made of organza and very ruffled, swishing it back and forth. She let the skirt drop before turning to the two seamstresses once again.

"It's beautiful," she said. The two women blushed, bowing slightly, before moving to help the princess out of the dress.

"It matches your eyes, Princess DG," one said, helping DG step out of the dress. "You'll be the belle of the ball."

"You'll have every suitor after you, Princess," the other said. "You'll have every man at your fingertips."

DG sighed as she pulled on her day dress. She thanked the seamstresses and left them to finish her dress. Closing the door, she sighed again. "Not every man," she whispered to no one before heading off to her lessons with Tutor.

* * *

_So, is kissing princesses your new pastime?_ Cain thought to himself as he pulled down the suit that the palace seamstresses had fashioned for him.

_Kiss – I didn't – I haven't – Princess – _

_Okay, almost kissing princesses then. And way to go on the complete sentences there, chief. _

_I didn't 'almost kiss' anyone. I was just…making sure she wasn't…hurt._

_Riiiiight._

"Shut up," Cain growled at his subconscious. He was glad that no one was in his room with him as that would have been awkward, him having a conversation with himself. He struggled with his suit as he continued to convince himself that he _wasn't_ trying to seduce the Crown Princess. The pants were dark gray and pinstriped – and tight. Tighter than he was used to (and he wore some pretty tight pants) and he had a feeling the palace seamstresses had done this on purpose. He had often seen them staring at him as he walked the halls making his rounds.

The white shirt fit him snuggly as well and the silver gray vest was taught against his chest. The seamstresses were trying to kill him via asphyxiation. The dark gray over coat was no better, pulling taught across his broad shoulders. Cain was surprised however to find that the seamstresses had kept with the fashion of long tails down the back of the jacket. He was sure they would have tried to remove those for better viewing access.

Unlike the grays and silvers of the rest of the outfit, Cain found that the ascot and the little handkerchief that would be tucked in his front pocket were a bright, cornflower blue. Holding up the scrap of cloth, Cain couldn't help but think of the youngest princess.

Their relationship has been rocky over the past two years. After the eclipse, both had been so busy trying to help restore the kingdom that neither had really noticed the tension that had slowly been building. Cain had left only briefly to help his son and the other Resistance fighters in rounding up some stray Longcoats. He had also gone back to the suit he had left Zero in, letting the former general out and escorting him to the Central City jail.

DG had jumped right into the role of a princess of the O.Z. After having spent fifteen years on the Other Side, she didn't know much about being a princess or about the land that she would one day rule, but she stuck to her lessons with Tutor and her mother had worked with her on the etiquette part of her life, turning her into a real life "Disney" princess, as DG referred to it, in no time. Whatever a "Disney" was.

Princess Azkadellia had also taken up a lot of DG's time in the beginning. Even the most talented of Healers couldn't help Azkadellia after she was free from the witch, but with the help of her newly reacquainted family and Raw, Azkadellia had slowly become more herself. Tonight's ball would be the first time she'd be seen by the public since the eclipse.

Things had finally settled down about a year and a half after the eclipse and the Queen had offered Cain the position of Head of the Royal Guard. Not wanting the responsibility, Cain had refused, citing age and the desire to stay close to his son, who was given the Head of the Royal Guard position after Cain turned it down, as his reasons for not accepting. That didn't stop him, however, from accepting the position of bodyguard to the Heir Apparent, one Dorothy Gale. He told himself at the time that it was a continuation of the promise that he made to the Mystic Man and nothing to do with the fact that the youngest princess had gotten under his skin.

DG was … different from the rest of the O.Z. and while Cain would have loved to chalk that up to the time she spent on the Other Side, he was sure that the youngest princess would have been just as stubborn and occasionally ornery even if she had been raised in the O.Z. One of the first things DG had done when things had somewhat settled down after the eclipse was convince the Queen that she _had_ to go back over to the Other Side. Taking Cain back had been an essential and after three harrowing days in a land not his own, he had followed the DG back through a travel storm on the back of her motorcycle, one of the three things she'd brought back with her.

One of the other things brought back was a duffel bag full of Other Side clothes. Things DG called 'jeans' and 'bras.' When Cain questioned her about these things, she had blushed, had tried to explain that she just "didn't do corsets" and then had laughed when the tips of his ears turned pink. The Queen had been successful in her attempts to get DG to wear more princess-y clothes, day dresses and the like, but occasionally, when it was just DG and Cain, she would wear her comfortable jeans (which didn't look to comfortable in Cain's opinion, as tight as they were) and a plain t-shirt. They would sit out in the gardens and she would sketch while he stretched out, a makeshift pillow for her on many occasions.

It wasn't that she didn't like dresses; she had no problem with them. It was just that, she told him many times, she didn't feel like DG in them, she felt like Princess DG. It was hard for Cain to figure out which DG it was easier to be with. When she was 'just DG,' he could talk and sit and occasionally laugh. But he also fell a little more in love with her every time they had a moment to be themselves. When she was Princess DG, he could control himself, he could realize that she was royalty and he, well, wasn't. Being with Princess DG made it easier to remember that he couldn't just grab her face and kiss her like he wanted to.

_That didn't stop you yesterday_, the annoying voice in the back of his head said. _She was in a dress yesterday. Oh ho ho and she'll be in a dress tonight. Oh, she's gonna look so –_

"Shut up."


	3. Part III

**Title: **Fall for You  
**Author:** generalnothing  
**Gift for:** missbadwolf  
**Rating: **PG for kissin' type stuff and a bad word or two.  
**Word Count:** 6,204**  
Beta (if applicable):** partially beta'd by **49seconds  
Disclaimer:** I don't own _Tin Man_ or anything related to it. The title comes from the Secondhand Serenade song of the same name.  
**Summary:** In which DG steals Cain's hat, Ahamo plays matchmaker, and Cain is forced to dance. DG/Cain liek whoa.  
**Pairings (if applicable):** DG/Cain, Lavender/Ahamo  
**Author's note (if applicable): **The prompt(s) were 'Ahamo is very fond of matchmaking (think DG/Cain)' and 'DG wonders when Cain will notice that she has stolen his hat.' I kind of combined the two. I had so much fun writing this even though it got sooooo long. This is literally the longest (completed) fic I have _ever_ written. **missbadwolf**, I hope you enjoy this, the prompts were super fun. And as always, special thanks and internet hugs to **49seconds** for late night beta's on half written fics, im giggle fits, multiple conversations, allowing me to spaz about the awesomeness of Jacob and collaborations.

**Part III**

It was customary for the Royal Family to arrive 'fashionably late' to their balls. As such, the party was in full swing when the courtier gathered everyone's attention to introduce the family and their guests.

First to descend the grand staircase that led to the dance floor was the Queen and Prince Consort. Both moved down the stairs gracefully, one of the Queen's arms tucked in her husband's while the other was holding up the hem of her lavender dress.

Next was Azkadellia on the arm of the re-brained Glitch. He would no longer be Ambrose for eight years was far too long to be separated from one's brain, but having his brain back had made him smarter. And he seemed to glitch less now that he was back together. Wearing a champagne colored dress, Azkadellia slowly made her way down the steps. There was a brief hush that fell over the crowd before Cain started to clap for the newly returned princess. Slowly, the rest of the court joined in. By the time Azkadellia and Glitch made it to the bottom of the stairs, the entire room was clapping for her. She blushed prettily and tucked her head into Glitch's chest. Glitch just smiled and Cain had a feeling he had no idea what was going on.

Last to descend was DG on the arm of Raw, her blue dress brushing the floor. At the sound of her name Cain looked to the top of his stairs. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her, her dark hair in a complicated up-do, her bright eyes shining in such a way that they matched her 

dress. Cain threw another mental thank you to the seamstresses for making DG's dress the color of her eyes.

She caught his eye from across the room as she descended he final step. He smiled at her and nodded his head, chuckling lightly as she grinned widely and waved at him. She turned back to Raw and Cain watched as she whispered something to him before disengaging her arm from his. Raw looked up and caught his eye, a knowing smirk on his furry face.

Cain brought his gaze back to DG only to find that she was on her way over to him.

"Princess," he greeted her, bowing slightly.

"Mr. Cain," she replied with a curtsy. She didn't meet his eyes, just kept her face down, but Cain could still see the blush gracing her cheeks. "I hope you're enjoying yourself."

"Oh, very much so, thank you Princess."

"You…look…nice," he said, stumbling over the words. The thin straps of her dress were covered by a sheer shawl that hung over her shoulders. The beading of her dress caused his eyes to travel lower, taking in the tightness of it and how it hugged her curves before flaring out at the bottom.

"You too," DG said shyly, looking him over. The suit was classy, but not overly done, the dark gray making his eyes brighter and she noticed that the blue ascot was the same color as her dress. She wondered if the seamstresses had done that on purpose. She ran her fingers over the few medals that were hanging from his pocket, just below the handkerchief before she jerked them back, embarrassed by her bold actions.

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two of them as the stood there, the party moving around them. They still wouldn't meet each other's eyes, too shy to move, but brought up too well to just leave.

Thankfully, they were saved by the arrival of Jeb who, while on duty as the head of the Royal Guard, was still managing to have a good time with his date, a pretty brunette by the name of Amanda whom he had met in the Resistance. After introductions had been made, Jeb bent down to his date's ear and whispered in it. She laughed and pushed him forward, shaking her head at his request. Jeb caught himself and turned to face DG.

"Princess," he said with a sense of mock sincerity. "May I have this dance?"

DG laughed and looked at Amanda who nodded her head. "Go ahead," the brunette said with a laugh. "I'll just steal your date," she said, quickly pulling Cain on to the dance floor before he could stop her.

Both Jeb and DG laughed at the look on Cain's face as Amanda set them to dancing the waltz that was currently playing. They turned back to each other and DG automatically placed her hands in the proper spots for dancing. They followed the same path Cain and Amanda had taken, twirling around the dance floor with ease.

"So, Princess," Jeb started and DG cringed at the teasing tone in his voice. She knew what was coming. "When are you going to tell my father you are completely and utterly in love with him?"

DG blushed a bright red and kept her eyes on her feet. She didn't remove her gaze as she answered. "Whenever you ask that pretty girl to marry you," she said.

Jeb lowered his head to her ear and whispered "Too late." He had to jerk his head out of the way when she whipped her head to face him.

"Jeb Cain!" DG cried, throwing her head back and laughing. Jeb just smiled at her and waited for her to calm down.

"So, does that mean you'll tell him?" Jeb asked as DG caught her breath. "He loves you," he said simply. She hadn't acknowledged him by the time the song ended and Cain and Amanda had made their way back over to them. Cain stopped in front of his son and the princess, wondering about the worried look on DG's face. Jeb stepped to his fiancée, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Think about what I said, DG," Jeb said. "Now, if you all don't mind, I'm gonna go dance with my beautiful fiancée." The two of them made their way to the center of the dance floor where the proceeded to dance the entire night, leaving Cain to splutter about fiancées and Jeb's age.

"What did he say to you, Princess?" Cain asked when he had calmed down enough, turning back to DG.

"Oh…nothing," she said. She was about to suggest that Cain accompany her for a dance when Glitch came up beside her.

"It's time for your mother's speech, Doll," he said, holding out his arm for her to take.

"Oh. Okay." She tucked her hand into the crook of Glitch's arm and started walking to the raised dais that housed her mother's throne. "We'll talk later," she said over her shoulder to Cain as she was dragged away.

Unfortunately for them both later became much later and much later became even later than that. Several hours after the start of the ball, Cain had given up hope on talking to the youngest princess. He had watched her all these hours as she danced with Glitch and Raw and her father, once more with Jeb and a few times with some other Royals. But not once with him. In fact, it almost seemed like she was avoiding him again. But he was okay with that as it made it easier for him to forget how beautiful she looked in her dress and how the strands of hair that had fallen out of her up-do made her neck seem long and smooth.

She was dancing with her father now, another slow waltz. She laughed at something he said, her head thrown back as they spun around the dance floor, passing Cain several times.

"Daddy, you did not say that," DG said, giggling and tucking her head into her father's chest. She smiled wider when she felt the rumble in his chest from his chuckling.

"I did. And the courtiers were none too happy about my Other Side quirks. They tried more than once to throw me out, but your mother, bless her dear heart, told them that I was there as a guest of hers and they had no authority to do such a thing. That was the moment I knew I was going to marry your mother."

"She's lucky to have found a guy like you, Dad," DG said against her father's chest.

"You'll find one, Spitfire," he said, pressing a kiss into her hair. He hated to see his daughter so down and vowed that she would spend the rest of her life happy. Which meant he would need to implement his plan soon if he was going to keep his promise. He looked around to search for Mr. Cain and, finding him only a few feet away, decided to speed up his plan. He caught his wife's eye and nodded minutely, tossing his head in the direction of their daughter's bodyguard. His wife smiled and nodded.

"Your mother is beckoning me, Deege," he said, pushing his daughter away from him softly as they stopped in front of Cain.

"Oh, okay." She pulled out her father's embraced, running her hands down the bodice of her dress to smooth away invisible wrinkles.

"Mr. Cain, do you mind taking over dancing duty?" Ahamo asked and DG's head snapped up to look at Cain.

"Daddy, that's not necessary," she said, not bringing her eyes to Cain's.

"Nonsense, daughter mine," her father said before turning back to Cain. "So whadaya say, Mr. Cain?" This was going splendidly.

The tips of Cain's ears turned pink as he racked his brain for an excuse, any excuse, to get out of dancing. When no plausible explanation to his disinterest arose, he spluttered out an affirmative and stepped forward towards DG.

"Perfect," Ahamo said. He bent down and kissed DG's cheek before heading over to his wife so he could watch the show.

Cain took another step forward and held his arms open to DG. He hoped she couldn't see how much his hands were shaking. His heart fluttered when she slipped one tiny hand into his, the other resting on his shoulder. This dance was to a slow, almost mournful song and Cain cringed when he had to slide his hand around the princess' waist.

"I'm sorry."

Her voice was so soft, and she still hadn't caught his eye, that he could barely hear her.

"What?" he said, tipping his head to try and catch her eye.

"I'm sorry I'm such a hassle. I can just go dance with Glitch or something."

She had barely finished speaking when Cain tightened the arm that was around her waist, tugging her even closer. She felt more than heard him sigh heavily against here.

"You're not a hassle, DG," he started. "It's just…well, I don't dance. I haven't for years. And…" He took another deep breath. "And…well…this _thing_ between us makes it so much harder to be around you."

There, he'd said it.

"Thing?" DG asked, finally looking him in the eye. His ice blue eyes held an emotion DG had never seen before in them and it made her heart pound against her rib cage. Neither realized that they had stopped dancing and were standing in the middle of the hall.

"This little dance we've been doing for months. It has to stop. I can't – I can't do it anymore, DG. It hurts too much." He closed his eyes, bowing his head so his chin hit his chest.

"Wh-what are you saying?" she asked, a lump forming in her throat as tears welled up in her baby blue eyes. "Are you – are you leaving?" For some reason, the thought of Cain not being there every day made her heart stop for a moment before speeding back up.

And then the most surprising thing happened. Cain started to chuckle. Right there in the middle of the dance floor, his arms around the youngest princess and heir to the crown, Wyatt Cain started laughing. DG just looked on as the man she loved went insane.

"You silly girl. And me, such a silly man."

"Wyatt?" It was the first time DG had ever used his first name and it caused the rumble in his chest to slow.

"I am so completely and inexplicably in love you DG," he said, staring deeply into her eyes. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to protect you with every fiber of my being. I want to watch your belly grow with our children. I want to sit on the grounds of the castle when we're gray-haired and wrinkled. And I want to spend every night in your arms. Please, if you'll have me I'm yours. Forever."

She was quiet for a moment and it made Cain nervous, but finally her face lifted to his, a smile on her face as she answered simply. "Yes."

The hand that had been resting on her waist moved to caress her cheek while the other buried itself in her dark hair to pull her closer to him. There was an explosion behind her eyes when their lips met, a bright white light that blinded her. His lips were rough, but plush, pressing incessantly at her own, the occasional swipes of his tongue at the seam of her lips making her sigh. When her lips parted, he invaded her mouth, his taste exploding on her tongue and making her crave more. She wrapped her arms around his neck, one hand caressing the tiny hairs on the nape of his neck.

Neither noticed when the entire room stopped to watch the youngest princess and her bodyguard make-out, nor did they notice when Glitch let out an excited squeal and Azkadellia exclaimed a very loud "Finally!" The Queen and her consort smiled at the couple before the Queen turned to the band to motion that they keep playing. The rest of the guests got the hint and started to dance once again, this time having to maneuver around the still kissing couple in the middle of the room.

"That didn't take as long as I thought," the Queen said, turning to her husband.

"I know. I thought for sure it would take him the _whole_ waltz before he would admit his feelings. Now I owe Jeb twenty platinum."

It wasn't until much later, after many of the guests had left and others still had found lodgings in the castle that the couple separated. Cain rested his forehead against DG's, the two of them swaying slowly to a song that wasn't being played.

"I love you, Princess," he said in the silence.

"I love you, Wyatt."

**End**


End file.
